The Eastern women’s soccer team will open Ohio Valley Conference play this weekend with a pair of matches against Belmont and Tennessee Tech.

The Panthers are the only team in the OVC without both a win and a draw, losing their first nine matches of the season. 

The team broke a seven-game scoreless drought against Valparaiso on Sunday with sophomore forward Hannah Miller scoring in the 71^st minute. It was the team’s first goal since Madison Carter’s score in the season opener against Oakland.

Interim head coach Jason Cherry said after last Friday’s loss against Drake that red-shirt freshman Kylie Morgan would be most likely to start at goalkeeper. 

Morgan, a transfer from the University of Kentucky and sister of former Panther Jessie Morgan, has started the most matches in goal for the team this season, has made 20 saves and given up 15 goals. 

Sophomores Emily Hinton and Cortney Jerzy have also seen time in goal this season.

Morgan, who did not see any playing time while at Kentucky because of injury, has faced 74 shots this season.

The Panthers will take on Belmont for only the second time as an OVC opponent since the Bruins joined the conference last year. The Panthers won in the 2012 regular season finale with a 2-1 overtime victory at Lakeside Field. This year’s matchup will be at Rose Park in Nashville, Tenn.

The Bruins enter this season with a record of 2-4-1 with wins over Toledo and Alabama State. The team’s last match was a 1-1 draw against Western Kentucky.

Belmont has seven goals this season scored by six different players. Junior forward Allie Hicks is the only player with two, leading the team. Hicks appeared in all 19 matches for the Bruins last season, starting in three and recording two goals.

Sophomore Cassie Blase has a team-high 18 shots and 12 shots on goal, but no points to show for it.

Senior goalkeeper Nicole Berner has started in all of the team’s matches this season, making 32 saves while facing 89 shots.

The Panthers and Bruins will meet at 4 p.m. Friday in Nashville, Tenn.

Eastern will return home for a noon match Sunday at Lakeside Field against the 2-7 Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles.

Tennessee Tech just recorded its second win of the season on Sunday over East Tennessee State, snapping a three-game losing streak, which the Golden Eagles scored just one goal.

Senior forward Ellie Iaciofano leads the team with three goals, picking up where she left off from the 2012 season when she lead the team in both goals and points.

Sophomore goalkeeper Jordan Brown has started every match for the Golden Eagles this season, making 61 saves. Brown made 123 saves last season, the thirteenth most in the nation.

Dominic Renzetti can be reached at 581-2812 or dcrenzetti@eiu.edu.